Jamir for end to dowry system

Pitching the need for a change in the perception of Indian society towards women, Governor of Maharashtra S. C. Jamir Friday said putting an end to the menace of dowry system would go a long way in addressing many problems faced by women.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day National Seminar on ‘Gender and Caste’ organised by the Women Development Cell and the Centre for Human Development of the University of Mumbai.
Asserting that the dowry system lay at the vortex of discrimination against women, Jamir said the society should overcome its deep mental blocks about women’s efficiency and capacity to participate in the decision making process. “Overcoming such mental blocks is the first challenge to women’s empowerment” he said.
The Governor also expressed the need to have separate provision for women in the budget and felt that the legislature should have focused its discussion on women’s issues. Jamir pointed out that the President of India has recently constituted a Committee of Governors to study and recommend strategies for speedy economic development and empowerment of women. He said that the Committee has recommended establishment of a women’s council at the national level to be headed by the Prime Minister and a similar women’s council in the State to be headed by the Chief Minister. These councils having women representatives and NGOs as members will review the progress of implementation of programmes relating women’s development.
Vice-Chancellor of University of Mumbai, Dr Vijay Khole; eminent feminist historian, Dr Uma Chakravarty; Chairperson of Women Development Cell, Dr Kranti Jejurkar and Co-ordinator of the Centre for Women Development, Dr Ritu Dewan also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the Governor garlanded the portrait of Smt. Savitribai Phule.